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End or Means

Kerry O’Neill

Ready: 

“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.” Isaiah 42:8

Set:

Because the Bible is filled with promises from a loving God to His children, it is easy for that to become the focus. We begin to approach God for what we get and He easily becomes a means to an end versus the end. Our prayers become a list of things we need and want. We seek the gifts, rather than the Giver. God is reduced to a waiter or butler.

Coaches and athletes can easily fall prey to seeing God as a means to personal success. Achievement is viewed as God’s blessing and setbacks leave us wondering what went wrong because God is on our side.

While this is a common tendency, it is clearly wrong! I need to get on God’s side, not ask Him to get on mine. I am not the center focus of the story, God is. The end is not the happiness of humankind, but the glorification of God. The focus must be Christ getting the glory and honor and praise that is due Him.

Let’s make it all about Him – loving and serving Him and others. This line from FCA’s The Coach’s Mandate is a great reminder: “Seek not to be served by my athletes for personal gain, but serve them as Christ served the church.”

Go:

1. How has your relationship with God become more about you than Him?

2. How would your sports experience change if giving God glory was the main focus?

3. Will you repent of self-focus and become Christ-focused?

Workout:

• Joshua 5:13-15
• John 3:30
• 1 Thessalonians 2:6

Overtime:

“Lord, forgive me for using You as a means to success rather than seeing You as the ultimate end, deserving of all my praise. Help me to make You the center of my sport and life.”